Virginie Razzano stuns Serena Williams in three-set thriller at Roland Garros

It might not seem like a big deal, but there's so much more to the story than the headline suggests.

And it's little wonder that the French sports pages are buzzing and the media is reporting the exploits of France's Virginie Razzano in the first round of this year's Roland Garros tournament.

Virginie Razzano (screenshot YouTube video)

Why?

Well first up of course there's the fact that Razzano - currently ranked 111 in the world - beat former number one and the 2002 winner Serena Williams.

No mean feat in itself as Williams was seeded fifth in this year's tournament and had never lost a first round match before in any of the four majors.

It was also the manner in which the 29-year-old Razzano beat her opponent, turning her game around from the brink of defeat.

At 1-5 down in the second set tie-break, after having lost the first set 4-6, the game pretty much seemed lost for Razzano.

But as often happens in tennis, Razzano rallied (sorry) taking the next six points to win the tie-break and the set.

More was to come in the final set though as Razzano clearly on a roll, raced to 5-0 lead, had three games taken off her by Williams and then needed eight match points to seal victory.

Remarkable stuff for both those lucky enough to be among the crowd at the Court Philippe Chatrier and those following the game on telly; three hours and three minutes of great sport.

But wait.

There's more.

Because Razzano's victory provided the starkest of contrasts to her first round match at last year's Roland Garros.

Just a week before the 2011 tournament, Razzano had lost her coach and fiancé Stéphane Vidal.

The pair had been together for nine years and shortly before he died, Vidal, who had a brain tumour, had made Razzano promise that she would play in Paris to "honour him".

Although she lost in her first round match, the press conference after the game was probably one of the most moving moments of the two weeks and led Europe 1 sports journalist Christophe Lamarre to describe how touched those present had been by the dignity and courage shown by Razzano.

Asked (a daft sports reporter's question) on Tuesday after beating Williams, whether the win was some sort of "sign of destiny" Razzano preferred a level-headed answer.

"Is it fate? I don't know," she said.

"What's certain is I wanted to win this match," she added.

"Honestly though, the past is the past. I've mourned and now I'm ready to move forward with my life. It took some time. But today I feel good."

Razzano's second round opponent will be 22-year-old Arantxa Rus from the Netherlands.

Even if you're not that keen on tennis, you'll surely feel the tension in the two accompanying videos of the last game of the match.

Virginie Razzano's tribute to Stéphane Vidal, her late fiancé

It might not have been the match of the tournament and it lasted just over an hour, but Tuesday's first round tie at Roland Garros between France's Virginie Razzano and Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova and and the subsequent press conference were both rich in emotion.

Virginie Razzano (screenshot from BFMTV report)

Gajdosova ran out the winner in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, but the day really belonged to her 28-year-old opponent who was keeping a promise she had made to her fiancé and coach, Stéphane Vidal, who died on May 16 of a brain tumour.

It was at the press conference after the game that Razzano showed her strength and dignity as she prepared to answer the questions, that Europe 1's sports journalist Christophe Lamarre said on his blog, nobody dared to answer.

"I was very moved because I was playing for Stéphane," said Razzano, understandably battling to hold back the tears.

"It was so hard walking on to the Philip Chatrier court; there was a lot of emotion and pain," she continued.

"I tried to pay homage to Stéphane today and even though it was virtually impossible, I tried my best."

"I feel alone even if I have a lot of support from family and friends, But I've still got the strength in me to keep going, little by little.

"I'm in mourning and it's difficult when you lose someone who - excuse me - will always be the man of my life, who I love and will always love."

Razzano then went on to pay tribute to the man who had been both her coach and partner for the past nine years; the bravery Vidal had shown in fighting his illness, the strength and courage both of them had discovered in one another.

Lamarre described how moved those present at the press conference were.

"Her distress overwhelmed us," he wrote.

Some journalists had tears in their eyes, others bowed their heads in respect, he continued."

"I don't know Virginie Razzano personally but I'm not about to forget this lesson of life, courage and dignity."

You can hear a recording of Razzano's speech here (click on "audios").

Virginie Razzano to play Roland Garros in memory of her fiancé

It'll doubtless be a moving moment when French tennis player Virginie Razzano takes to the court for her opening match at Roland Garros which begins on May 22.

Virginie Razzano, US Open 2009 (from Wikipedia, author Robbie Mendelson)

And the thoughts of many a home fan will be with the 28-year-old during the French Open, not because of fierce national pride but instead in support of a woman who will still be in mourning following the death of her fiancé and trainer Stéphane Vidal on Monday.

"Four or five days ago I asked him whether he wanted me to play at Roland Garros," she writes in a touching letter published in Tuesday's edition of the sports daily L'Equipe.

"He replied that I had to because he wanted me to get on with my life and continue playing for both of us."

It's very much a pattern the couple had followed for the past nine years ever since Vidal was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

They met 11 years ago when Razzano started training at a club run by his parents.

"Over time we became friends," she writes.

"And little by little, as we got to know each other better, we fell in love."

But it was a relationship overshadowed by the Vidal's diagnosis and even though he accompanied Razzano as her coach on the Tour and was always by her side, the illness took its toll over the years.

Vidal's condition worsened at the beginning of this year and although Razzano continued travelling and playing in tournaments until last month - at the insistence of her fiancé - it became clear in April that the 32-year-old was dying.

"I've never met anyone as good or as strong as Stéphane," writes Razzano.

"It's hard, but with the strength he gave me, I'm still alive."

Currently ranked 93rd in the world and competing at Roland Garros for the 14th time, Razzano might not be among the favourites to lift the title, but there's always hope.

And wouldn't it be a fitting tribute?

French tennis open stays at Roland Garros

The Fédération Française de Tennis (French tennis federation, FFT) has decided that the French Open will continue to be played at Stade de Roland Garros (Roland Garros Stadium) in Paris.

At the weekend it voted to renovate and enlarge the existing venue on the outskirts of the capital's 16th arrondissement rather than move to a new site in the suburbs.

(Screenshot from TF1 news)

Roland Garros had been up against stiff competition from three other alternatives, all aiming to host the clay court event which is the second of the annual four Grand Slam tournaments.

It was a process that had begun almost two years ago when the FFT invited bids to stage the French Open from 2016 because the current site, which had been its home since 1928, was considered too small and difficult to extend.

The other candidates had been Gonesse in the northeastern suburbs of Paris almost 17 kilometres from the centre, Versailles - home of the famous palace - 17 kilometres to the west, and Marne-la-Vallée - a new town 32 kilometres to the east and best known perhaps for being the home of Disneyland, Paris.

But in the end the FFT plumped for tradition and in the process bucked the trend of, in the words of its president Jean Gachassin, "Having things on a grand scale."

"When we began looking at how we could modernise the stadium at Roland Garros our ambition was to be able to offer a real plan that would ensure the future and the high quality of the event," he says on the federation's website.

"By choosing Paris and deciding to modernise, expand and completely rethink the historical site of Roland Garros, the FFT has opted for a magnificent and unique project which allows us to distinguish ourselves from other tournaments and remain true to our values."

Among the renovations are the building of a retractable roof over the Philippe Chatrier centre court and a totally new 8,000-capacity court.

Costs of course also played an important part in the decision with renovation of Roland Garros put at €275 million rather than the €460 million plus price tag of the other three alternative sites, all of which would have required building from scratch.

While Vincent Eblé, who is president of the regional council of Seine-et-Marne, the département in which Marne-la-Vallée is located, congratulated Paris on its "win" he also had a word of warning.

"As is the tradition in sport we are 'fair play' and wish Paris and the federation all the luck in creating a stadium that France needs," he told Agence France Presse .

"But it is far from being faced with an easy job," he added ominously.

And reflecting a certain disquiet among some over the decision was Amélie Mauresmo, a former world number who retired in 2009.

"I hope the federation won’t get in trouble by taking this decision,” Mauresmo, who is now co-director of the Open Gaz de France, said.

“I don’t know if the tennis aspect prevailed in - I have my doubts."

The "trouble" could be the extension of the site to include part of the neighbouring botanical gardens, le Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil, which Yves Contassot, a councillor in Paris for the ecology party Les Verts, says represent just one of any number of judicial and administrative obstacles.

"There'll have to be changes made in planning regulations in Paris and that'll have to go to a local, departmental and national level as well," he told French television.

"Commissions will also have to determine what happens to a site classified as of 'historical interest' and at least two ministries will be involved," he continued.

"I don't believe that by 2015 there'll be an extra court on the site which is currently occupied by the gardens."

Game, set and match, it seems, is far from being called.

Maybe Mickey and friends can still hold out hope.

Roland Garros reste à Paris

Could the world of French tennis turn to Disney?

Tennis fans worldwide and lovers of tradition could be in for a fright if the French Tennis Federation (Fédération française de tennis, FFT) sees through plans that are apparently in the pipeline.

The French Open, one of the four prestigious Grand Slams in tennis could be on the move from its current home at the Stade de Roland Garros (Roland Garros Stadium) on the outskirts of the capital's 16th arrondissement to Disneyland.

Yes, you read correctly. Mickey and friends are in the running to play host to future winners of a tournament that has been one of the sporting highlights of the part of the French capital's sporting calender since 1891 (at Stade Français) and from 1928 at Roland Garros.

Of course there's nothing new in the rumour, as a move of some sort has been the subject of discussion for some time especially as the tournament expands and the space available at its current location is limited.

Redevelopment and extension plans of Roland Garros have apparently been agreed, but for Jean Gachassin, the president of the FTT, it's simply unlikely to be enough in the long term.

"We're looking for 20 hectares and there has already been interest expressed," he told the sports daily, Le 10 sport.

Indeed according to Gachassin there are two confirmed candidates in the running; one at Sarcelles, a northern suburb of the French capital and the other, in Marne-la-Vallée, 32 kilometres (20 miles) to the East and of course home to Disneyland Europe.

But wait. For those of you about to throw your hands up in despair. There's hope. And it comes from the director of the tournament, Gilbert Ysern.

He downplayed the rumours of a move although he admitted that negotiations to expand the current site and build a new stadium (Georges Hébert) close to the existing venue, weren't without their difficulties.

"It's more than a little premature to be talking about such a project (as Disneyland), he told the sports daily L'Equipe.

"The possibility of it happening cannot be ruled out but as yet no negotiations (for such a move) have been started," he added.

"We're still actively working on sorting out the Georges Hébert project but there are distinct political and technical difficulties that need to be overcome and the worst case scenario would see us unable to complete the project and being forced to leave Roland Garros entirely."

So not exactly full backing Gachassin's seeming enthusiasm to embrace Mickey and friends.

Maybe Ysern together with the local authorities can come up with a solution that'll prove that the lyrics from the track "One God" on the British alternative rock group Beautiful South's 1996 album "Blue is the colour" really weren't as prescient as they might have appeared at the time.

"The world is turning Disney and there's nothing you can do".

Justine Henin - from centre court to centre stage

Belgium's former world number one tennis player, Justine Henin, will take to the stage later this year when she makes her theatre debut.

According to the Belgian news agency Belga, Henin is slated to play the part of Chloé in the play "Arrête de pleurer Pénélope!" from October.

It's a long-running comedy that has played to packed houses throughout France and which revolves around the lives of three 30-something women "waving goodbye" to their youth.

The role of Chloé is described as "an intellectual who's always asking question about love and never understanding it."

Although it'll be Henin's first attempt at treading the boards, it won't be her first stab at acting.

In May this year she appeared in an episode of the daily French soap opera "Plus belle la vie", although regular viewers might be forgiven for having missed it as she popped up on screen for just a few seconds to deliver her lines.

And she has also recently appeared on Belgian television in a programme entitled "Les douze travaux de Justine Henin", which as the name suggests challenged her to undertake certain tasks such as "singing" (you can judge for yourself whether you think the inverted commas are necessary) alongside singer-songwriter Salvatore Adamo.

Ahem. Perhaps the kindest thing to say is that her performance was one which didn't exactly live up to her abilities on the tennis court.

And if it's an indication of what theatre-goers to the Belgian capital can expect later this year, maybe now is the time to rethink her job options.

Henin of course had a glittering career in tennis, winning seven Grand Slam titles, including four at the French Open. She also picked up the gold medal at the Olympic games in Athens in 2004.

The only title that eluded the 27-year-old, in spite of two appearances in the tournament's final, was on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

To the surprise of many in the tennis world, she quit the professional circuit in May 2008 just weeks before she would have defended her title at Roland Garros.

Roland Garros - it's over before it has begun for Gasquet

France’s Richard Gasquet will be missing from this year’s draw for the French Open at Roland Garros, which begins on May 24.

Nope, Not because of injury, which plagues many players on the professional tennis circuit - but drugs - or cocaine to be more precise.

On Monday the French tennis federation confirmed that Gasquet would be suspended from this year’s tournament - one of the four Grand Slam events in the tennis calendar.

The signs of likely problems for Gasquet first broke on Saturday when the French daily sports paper L’Equipe reported that he had tested positive for cocaine back in March in Miami.

And a day later the 22-year old confirmed the rumours,

"The result of the B sample test I took at the end of March during the Miami tournament in which I didn’t participate, confirmed the positive result of the A sample test taken on the same day," he said.

"Given the complexity of the case, I’m in the process of gathering all the evidence to prove my innocence before fixing a more appropriate time to explain myself," he added, admitting that he had been out partying one evening during the Miami tournament.

There is however a complication in Gasquet’s case, aside that is from the wider implications that cocaine use is illegal.

Under purely anti-doping regulations it’s only "forbidden" if it’s being used as a performance-enhancing drug or stimulant during competition.

Gasquet tested positive for cocaine during a tournament in which he didn’t actually participate. He was scheduled to, but withdrew before his first round match because of a shoulder injury.

The news came as a bombshell to many in the French tennis world with veteran player, Fabrice Santoro, expressing his shock on national television.

"I’ve known Richard since he was a young boy," he said.

"I know how he lives, we see each other a lot on the circuit and it’s completely out of character," he added.

Former French professional player, Henri Leconte, was perhaps more forthcoming when questioned for his reaction.

"Unfortunately I think he has to accept the consequences, he said.

"Even if you say ’oh it was like that for one evening’ - he’s an example for French tennis."

Currently 21st in the ATP rankings, Gasquet has made it as high as number seven, and with five career titles to his credit and a losing semi-finalist at Wimbledon back in 2007, he has finished as the top-ranked French tennis player in three of the past four seasons.

Gasquet’s fate will be sealed within the next two months when he is expected to appear before an anti-doping tribunal.

The maximum penalty is a two-year suspension, which could effectively put an end to his playing career in much the same way it did to that of a former women’s world number one, Martina Hingis, back in 2007 when she faced similar allegations.